"What is it, Mr. Polk?"
"I"ve got you, you young thief!"
"I am no thief," answered our hero, warmly.
"You are!"
"Who says Randy is a thafe?" demanded Pat Malloy.
"I do."
"And I say it is false."
"He has stolen some of my underwear," went on the purser. "Tell me what you have done with the stuff at once!"
"Your stuff is in my locker, Mr. Polk, but I did not take it."
"Ha! what a yarn to tell. Hand the stuff over at once!"
"You can get it if you wish," answered Randy, with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I will. Malloy, come along as a witness," answered the purser.
He walked to the compartment where the deckhands slept and from our hero"s locker hauled the articles that belonged to him.
"What do you say to that?" he cried, turning to our hero.
"I did not put the things there, Mr. Polk."
"If you didn"t, who did?" sneered the purser.
"Perhaps you did yourself."
"Me!"
"Yes."
"You are crazy, boy! Why should I do such a thing?"
"To get me into trouble. You hate me and want to injure me, that"s why."
"Nonsense. You stole these things, it is useless for you to deny it."
"But I do deny it. I am no more a thief than you are--maybe not as much of a one," added Randy, significantly.
At these words the purser turned pale for a moment. But he quickly recovered.
"I shall report this to the captain."
"I"ll report too."
"I"ll have you discharged."
"We"ll see about that."
Taking his things, Peter Polk went to the captain"s office and told his story. Captain Hadley at once sent for Randy.
"This is a queer happening, Thompson," he said.
"Captain Hadley, I am not guilty," answered Randy. "It is only another plot of Mr. Polk to get me into trouble."
"And you think he put the things there himself?"
"I certainly do. I wish you would give me a day off," went on our hero, after an awkward pause.
"What for?"
"I wish to see Mr. Shalley."
"He is in New York, on business."
"So much the better. I can call on him there, after we tie up."
"Do you want to take this matter to him?"
"Not this alone. I have something else of importance. I know he will want to see me."
"Well, you can go. I hope you are not going to run away," and the captain smiled faintly.
"I have nothing to run away for, sir. Mr. Polk is down on me and I am going to do what I can to show him up, that is all. But please don"t let him know that I am going to see Mr. Shalley."
"You have learned something important?"
"Yes, sir."
"About the purser?"
"Yes, sir. But I can"t speak of it just yet to you."
"Well, what about this clothing affair?"
"Won"t you let it rest for a few days?"
"If you wish," answered Captain Hadley, and then he was called away to attend to some important duties.
Although Randy did not know it, Peter Polk was nearby and caught a good bit of the talk between our hero and the captain. His face grew deathly pale when he learned that Randy was going to see Mr. Shalley and about his own personal doings.
"What has that cub discovered now?" he asked himself. "What can he tell about my doings?"